FACT SHEET: United States-Germany Relations

Germany is one of the United States’ closest and strongest allies. Our engagement with Germany spans the breadth of international relations, and is rooted in friendship, our close trading relationship, and our common values. German-American cooperation on international political, economic, and security matters is critical to our countries’ continued prosperity and to the stability of the international system. Our work together is rooted in extensive people-to-people ties and pursued through close coordination at the most senior levels.

In the political sphere, Germany stands at the center of European affairs and plays a key leadership role as a member of the G-7, G-20, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the European Union, the Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the United Nations. The United States and Germany work side by side to maintain peace and freedom, and Germany plays an important role in NATO’s core mission of collective defense. Germany is also a key contributor to U.S.-led coalition efforts to degrade and destroy ISIL.

Our deep economic ties are based on dynamic and growing trade and investment. Germany is the largest European economy, and in 2015 the United States became Germany’s fourth largest supplier of goods and became Germany’s number one global customer. Together, our companies have created over one million jobs on both sides of the Atlantic. It is vital that we continue to work to strengthen what is already a robust trade and investment relationship based on shared values, which underpins our deep and enduring bond. Germany was a close partner in securing the historic Paris Agreement on climate change, and worked alongside the United States to push the Agreement into force in less than a year. This momentum sends a powerful signal to world markets that we are accelerating our transition towards a low-emissions economy.

The United States and Germany maintain strong cultural ties, with more Americans claiming German or partial German ancestry than any other national origin. Millions of Americans travel to Germany every year, and we facilitate a variety of exchange programs that span academic, professional, and youth exchanges. The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange program is the largest bilateral, government-funded, youth exchange program the United States has with any country.